THE BOOK OF PSALMS AS THE BOOK OF CHRIST:
A CHRISTO-CANONICAL APPROACH TO
THE BOOK OF PSALMS
by
Jerry Eugene Shepherd
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of
WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
1995
Faculty Advisor: Tremper Longman III
Second Faculty Reader: Peter E. Enns
Chairman of the Field Committee: Vern S. Poythress
Librarian: D. G. Hart
To my loving wife Cheryl,
and my three wonderful children,
Jennifer, Joel, and Timothy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
CHAPTER
PART ONE
THE HISTORY OF MESSIANIC PSALM INTERPRETATION
AND CANONICAL INTERPRETATION . . . . . . 1
1. A HISTORICAL SURVEY OF MESSIANIC OR CHRISTOLOGICAL
INTERPRETATION OF THE PSALMS . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Apostolic Fathers to ca. AD 200
The Alexandrian and Antiochene Schools
to ca. 500
The Alexandrian School
The Antiochene School
Middle Ages to ca. 1500
The Reformation to ca. 1600
Martin Luther John Calvin
Other Reformers
From the Reformation to the Present
"Conservative" Exegesis to the Twentieth
Century
"Liberal" Exegesis to the Twentieth Century
Twentieth Century Developments
The Early History of Religions School
Form Criticism
The Myth and Ritual School
Sensus Plenior
Neo-orthodoxy and the Biblical Theology
Movement
2. THE CANONICAL APPROACH OF BREVARD CHILDS . . . . . 63
A Description of Childs's Approach
Objections to Childs's Approach
1. The Question of Methodology
2. The Question of Definition
3. The Question of Focus
4. The Question of Intentionality
5. The Question of Canonical Plurality
6. The Question of Emphasis
7. The Question of Tradition
8. The Question of the Whole Canon
9. The Question of Confessionalism
10. The Question of Theology
Conclusion
3. THE CANONICAL CRITICISM OF JAMES SANDERS . . . . . . 126
A Description of Sanders's Approach
The Need for Canonical Criticism
The Agenda and Assumptions of Canonical Criticism
Reconstruction of the Canonical Process
Differences with Childs
The Gains of Canonical Criticism
Evaluation of Sanders's Approach
Evaluation of Sanders's Reconstruction
Evaluation of the Assumptions and Gains of
Canonical Criticism
iii
Conclusion
PART TWO
THE CHRISTO-CANONICAL APPROACH . . . . . . 182
4. THE CANONICAL PROCESS APPROACH OF BRUCE
WALTKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Assessment of Prior Interpretation
A New Proposal
Dependence on, and Distance from, Childs
Similarity to, but Distinction from, Sensus Plenior
Four Convictions
Four Stages
Issues to Be Raised in Regard to Waltke's Canonical
Process Approach
Conclusion
5. THE CHRISTO-CANONICAL APPROACH TO THE OLD
TESTAMENT: CHRIST IS THE CANON ABOVE THE CANON . . . 204
Thesis Number One:
Christ Is Criterion of Canon
Thesis Number Two:
Christ Asserts Himself as Canon by His Spirit
Thesis Number Three:
Christ is Lord over the Whole Canon
Thesis Number Four:
Christ Asserts His Authority in Covenantal Canon
Thesis Number Five:
Christ Has Incarnated Himself in Biblical Canon
Thesis Number Six:
Christ is Lord over Canonical Meaning
Thesis Number Seven:
Christ is Lord over the Canonical Meaning of the Old Testament
iv
Conclusion
6. THE CHRISTO-CANONICAL APPROACH TO THE OLD
TESTAMENT: CHRIST IS LORD OVER THE INTERPRETER . . . 277
Thesis Number Eight:
Christ is Lord over Hermeneutical Methodology
Thesis Number Nine:
Christ is Lord over the Disclosure of Meaning
Thesis Number Ten:
Christ's Canon Is Canonical over All
Scholarly Reconstruction
Thesis Number Eleven:
Christ's Canon Is for Christ's Church
Thesis Number Twelve:
Christ's Canon is Paradigmatically Authoritative
Thesis Number Thirteen:
Christ's Canon Is to Be Interpreted in
the Light of Its Canonical Unity
Thesis Number Fourteen:
Christ's Canon Is a "Fuller Sense"
Conclusion
PART THREE
THE APPLICATION OF THE CHRISTO-CANONICAL
APPROACH TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS. . . . . . 386
7. THE CHRISTO-CANONICAL APPROACH TO THE SHAPE OF
THE BOOK OF PSALMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
The Psalms Superscriptions
The Authorship Ascriptions
The Historical Titles
Earlier Psalter Collections
Earlier Forms of the Psalter
The Elohistic and Yahwistic Psalters
The Five Books
v
Competing Canonical Psalters?
The Final Shape of the Psalter:
Theological? Canonical? Christological?
Is there a Theological Rationale?
Is the Psalter's Shape Canonical?
Does the Psalter Have a Christological Structure?
8. THE CHRISTO-CANONICAL APPROACH TO THE PSALMS
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE CANON . . . . . . . . . . 453
Three Lines of Evidence
Royal Interpretation of the Psalms
Canonical Process
The Intertestamental Period
The Use of the Psalms in the Old Testament
The "Flash Point":
The Use of the Psalms in the New Testament
The Use of Psalm 22 in Hebrews 2:11-13
Suggested Explanations
Septuagint Influence
Philonic Influence
Qumran Influence
Rabbinic Midrash
The "Testimony Book" Hypothesis
Sensus Plenior
The "Redeemer" Myth
Hierophany
Towards a Solution
The Use of Psalm 22 in the New Testament
vi
The Context of Psalm 22:23
New Testament Use of the Context of Isa 8:17-18
Linked Contexts
Other Passages in Which Christ is the Psalmist
Matthew 13:35 (Psalm 78:2)
Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 (Psalm 22:2)
Luke 23:46 (Psalm 31:6)
John 2:17 (Psalm 69:10)
John 13:18 (Psalm 41:10)
John 15:25 (Psalm 35:19; 69:5)
John 19:24 (Psalm 22:19)
Acts 2:25-28 (Psalm 16:8-11)
Romans 15:3 (Psalm 69:10)
Romans 15:9 (Psalm 18:50 [2 Samuel 22:50])
Romans 15:11 (Psalm 117:1)
Hebrews 10:5-7 (Psalm 40:7-9)
Conclusions
9. THREE MESSIANIC PSALMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Psalm 8
Matthew 21:16
Hebrews 2:6-9
Psalm 41
Psalm 41 in the Context of the Book of Psalms
and the Old Testament
vii
bĕliyya al
Intra-Psalter Connections
The Use of Psalm 41 in John 13
Psalm 129
Psalm 129 in its Old Testament Context
Psalm 129 in its New Testament Context
Conclusion
10. IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHRISTO-CANONICAL APPROACH
FOR INTERPRETING THE BOOK OF PSALMS . . . . . . . 590
The Psalms Are to Be Interpreted According
to the New Testament Paradigm
The Psalms Are a Messianic Reservoir
The Psalms Are the Skandalon of the Old Testament
The Psalms Are to Be Prayed
Conclusion
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
vii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED
AB Anchor Bible
ALGHJ Arbeiten zur Literatur und Geschichte des
hellenistischen Judentums
ANF The Anti-Nicene Fathers
ANQ Andover Newton Quarterly
AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament
ARG Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte
ASTI Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute
ATR Anglican Theological Review
AusBR Australian Biblical Review
AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies
BA Biblical Archaeologist
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental
Research
BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum
lovaniensium
Bib Biblica
BibOr Biblica et orientalia
BibRev Bible Review
BibS(N) Biblische Studien (Neukirchen, 1951-)
BJRL Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of
Manchester
BJS Brown Judaic Studies
BSac Bibliotheca Sacra
BT The Bible Translator
BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin
ix
BZAW Beihefte zur ZAW
CBC Cambridge Bible Commentary
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CBQMS Catholic Biblical Quarterly--Monograph Series
CH Church History
CJT Canadian Journal of Theology
ConBNT Coniectanea biblica, New Testament
ConBOT Coniectanea biblica, Old Testament
CQR Church Quarterly Review
CR Critical Review of Books in Religion
CRINT Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad novum testamentum
CTM Concordia Theological Monthly
CurTM Currents in Theology and Mission
DJD Discoveries in the Judaean Desert
ETL Ephemerides theologicae lovanienses
EvQ Evangelical Quarterly
ExpTim Expository Times
FB Forschung zur Bibel
FBBS Facet Books, Biblical Series
HAR Hebrew Annual Review
HBT Horizons in Biblical Theology
HeyJ Heythrop Journal
HNTC Harper's New Testament Commentaries
HTR Harvard Theological Review
HTS Harvard Theological Studies
HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual
x
IBC Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching
IEJ Israel Exploration Journal
IBS Irish Biblical Studies
ICC International Critical Commentary
IDBSup Supplementary volume to Interpreter's Dictionary of
the Bible
Int Interpretation
JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion
JBC Jerome Biblical Commentary
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JCS Journal of Cuneiform Studies
JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
JHNES John Hopkins Near Eastern Studies
JJS Journal of Jewish Studies
JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies
JQR Jewish Quarterly Review
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament-
Supplement Series
JSS Journal of Semitic Studies
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
MNTC Moffat New Testament Commentary
NCB New Century Bible
Neot Neotestamentica
NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament
NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament
xi
NIGTC The New International Greek Testament Commentary
NovT Novum Testamentum
NovTSup Novum Testamentum, Supplements
NPNF Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers
NTS New Testament Studies
OBO Orbis biblicus et orientalis
Or Orientalia
OTL Old Testament Library
OTS Oudtestamentische Studiën
PTMS Pittsburgh (Princeton) Theological Monograph Series
PSTJ Perkins (School of Theology) Journal
RelS Religious Studies
RelSRev Religious Studies Review
ResQ Restoration Quarterly
RevExp Review and Expositor
RevQ Revue de Qumran
SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series
SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series
SBLSP Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers
SBLSS Society of Biblical Literature Semeia Studies
SBT Studies in Biblical Theology
SJT Scottish Journal of Theology
SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series
ST Studia Theologica
STDJ Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah
TBT The Bible Today
xii
TD Theology Digest
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament
TS Theological Studies
TToday Theology Today
TU Texte und Untersuchungen
TynBul Tyndale Bulletin
TZ Theologische Zeitschrift
USQR Union Seminary Quarterly Review
VC Vigiliae Christianae
VT Vetus Testamentum
VTSup Vetus Testamentum, Supplements
WBC Word Biblical Commentary
WTJ Westminster Theological Journal
WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament
WW Word and World
ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
ZNW Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft
xiii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are many to whom I must express my sincerest
appreciation for the help and support I have received during the
work on this dissertation. I wish first of all, to thank my
advisor, Dr. Tremper Longman III, for his constant
encouragement, his invaluable advice, and his friendship. My
gratitude also goes to my second reader, Dr. Peter E. Enns, for
his careful reading of the manuscript and his valuable
suggestions as to how the work could be improved. I owe a
great debt to my external reader, Dr. Patrick D. Miller, Jr., of
Princeton Theological Seminary, both for his encouragement
and for his constructive criticisms which have only helped to
make this a better work.
I also wish to express my gratitude to the other faculty
in the Biblical Department at Westminster Theological
Seminary for all they have done to shape my thinking in the
area of hermeneutics and biblical interpretation: Dr. Richard B.
Gaffin, Jr., Dr. Moisés Silva, Dr. Vern S. Poythress, Dr. Dan
G. McCartney, and Prof. J. Alan Groves. My thanks go out as
well to Dr. Bruce K. Waltke, my initial advisor, now at Regent
College, for the original motivation to write on the Psalms
from a canonical perspective. With sadness, and yet with
xiv
gratefulness, I remember the teaching, encouragement and
friendship of the late Dr. Raymond B. Dillard.
I say thank you to Ms. Donna Conley, Registrar, for her
assistance in the final stages of the dissertation. Thank you also
to various members of the Library staff, Dr. Darryl G. Hart,
Ms. Grace Mullen, and Ms. Jane Patete for all their valuable
assistance.
With special gratitude I acknowledge the congregations
of three churches: Peace Baptist Church in Germanton, North
Carolina; Maple Glen Bible Fellowship Church in Maple Glen,
Pennsylvania; and West Meadows Baptist Church in
Edmonton, Alberta. Without their gracious support, this
dissertation would never have been completed.
I wish also to thank the administration, faculty, and staff
of Edmonton Baptist Seminary (and North American Baptist
College) for all they have done to enable me to complete this
dissertation while serving on their faculty. It is an honor to
work alongside these colleagues.
My greatest debt of gratitude and love is to my dear
wife, Cheryl, for her undying love and for believing in me. She
has earned this degree as much as I have. Thank you for being
my wife and for being there when I needed you. My wonderful
children, Jennifer, Joel, and Timothy, have had to live with
"Dad's dissertation" longer than they should have. Thank you